Magazine rocket projectors



Dec..8, 1959 J. LINKE ET AL MAGAZINE ROCKET PRoJEcToRs Filed June 17. 1957 4 Sheets-Sl'xee'cI 1 Dec. 8, 1959 J. LINKE ETAL MAGAZINE ROCKET PRoJEcToRs 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 17, 1957 n w E E K L5 v. Nn I HT L .C N Y S rSMILvA N S mn J. w A I H Dec. 8,1959 J. LINKE ETAL I 2,915,945

MAGAZINE ROCKET PROJECTORS Filed Jung 17. 1957 4 sheets-sheet s JOHANNES LINKE HANS MICHEL .INVENTORS Dec. 8, 1959 J. LINKE ETAL 2,915,945

. l MAGAZINE RCKET PRo'JEc'ros Filed June 17, 1957 4 sheets-sheet 4 :rouAnuEs Linka HANS MICHEL INVENTORS'v BY WM,Xh-Jpmui Ams United States Patent f O MAGAZINE ROCKET PROJECTORS Johannes Linke andiHans Michel, Zurich, Switzerland,

assignors to Machine Tool Works Oerlikon, Administration Company, Zurich-Oerlikon, Switzerland, a Swiss company Application June v17, 1957, Serial No. 665,934

Claims priority, application Switzerland July 4, 1956 1 Claim. (Cl. 89-1.7)

The invention relates to a rocket projector having a magazine containing the rockets, a loading chamber with adjoining firing tube, and-means for the automatic feeding of the rockets from the magazine into the loading chamber.

In the rocket projectors of this kind as hitherto known when firing a series of rockets the same are moved during the intervals between ring jerkily by follow-up means towards and into the firing position. At the beginning of the follow-up movement accordingly all the rockets in the magazine have to be accelerated from rest, and at the end of the same they have to be braked again. For a rapid sequence of shots, i.e. at a high cadence of `the weapon, because of the comparatively large masses to be moved, very strongly dimensioned drives for the follow-up means and often also special devices such as clutches, brakes and the like are required. The drive and follow-up means thereby become heavy and occupy a correspondingly large space.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rocket projector wherein these disadvantages are overcome, and wherein in particular no high inertia forces occur and the conveyor device does not require a high power input and may be of lighter construction.

With this and other objects in view I provide a rocket projector comprising in combination: a magazine adapted to contain the rockets, a loading chamber having an adjoining firing tube, a feeder drum uniformly rotated when tiring a series of rockets and moving the said rockets from the said magazine into the said loading chamber, a spring-loaded closure flap operated by the rockets entering into the said loading chamber and cooperating with special closure faces provided on the said feeder drum in shutting olf the said loading chamber during the firing, a carrier shiftably mounted in the said magazine behind the last rocket contained therein, belt drums in driving connection with the said feeder drum, and tension belts adapted to be Wound on and o the said belt drums and attached to the said carrier, imparting to the latter the feed required for conveying the rockets into the said feeder drum.

A free-wheel coupling may be interposed advantageously in the said driving connection from the said feeder drum to the said belt drums.

These and other objects and features of our said invention will -be clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross section along line I-I of Fig. 3 of a rocket projector with the magazine partly filled,

Fig. 2 is a part cross section on the line lI-II of Fig. 3,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the feeder drum on the line III-III of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a 4belt drum on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1,

` Fig. 5 is a section on the line V-V of Fig. 3,

2,915,945 Patented Dec. s, 195'9 lCe stantially 'of a magazine 1, a casing 2 with a feeder drum 3, a loading chamber 4 and a starting tube 5 which is only `cliagrammatically indicated in Fig. 3. A tubular carrier 6 of the same diameter and length as the rockets 7 is in driving connection with the feeder drum 3 through belts 11 passing over deliector wheels- 8 and deliector rollers 9 and 10, and supplies the said drum with rockets. 'I'he feederrdrum is in its length subdivided into individual sections, which are connected with one another by shortV tubular pieces 13 attached perpendicularly to walls 12 (Fig. 3). These sections are formed each bytwo equal tubular segments 14 arranged symmetrically With respectv to their longitudinal axis, and b-y the Walls 12 xedperpe'ndicularly at theirends. The exterior surfaces of the tubular segments 14 (see Fig. 2) will be referred to hereinafter as closure surfaces 15, and the narrow surfaces of the side walls 20 and of the partition walls 12 (see Figures '3 land'2), parallel to the longitudinal aXis of the feeder drum, will be referred to as control surfaces 17 and 18. These control faces of the individual walls 12 and 20 are formed symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the feeder drum. A control face is formed by two portions, namely a circular recess 17 (Fig. 1), the radius of which is slightly larger than the radius of the rocket bodies, and a circular portion 18 of f opposite curvature tangentially adjoining 17. Coaxially tothe longitudinal axis of the feeder drum spring loaded bolts 22 are slidably fitted into bores of discs 21 xedly connected to thev end-walls 20 (Fig. 3). These bolts serve for journalling the feeder drum in corresponding bores of driving discs 23 and 24 which are rotatably journalled in the casing; the driving disc 23 iixedly mounted on the shaft of a spur gear 25 is in driving connectionwith an electric motor 29 through this spur gear,

an intermediate gear 26 and reduction gearing 28. Parallel ledges 30 (Fig. 5) projecting from the driving discs 23 and 24 engage with the discs 21 having parallel milled faces. The feeder drum may accordingly be driven either from the motor 29 (Fig. 3) or through a hand crank 33 adapted to be mounted on the shaft 32.

Beltdrums 35 (Fig. 3), on which the belts 11 are wound, lare rotatably mounted on the' cylindrical connecting pieces between the discs 21 and the kend-,walls 20 of the feeder drum. Only when the feeder drum is turned in the direction required for the ring, the pins 36 resiliently mounted in the end-walls 20 serve for carrying along the band drums 35 in that they abut semi-circular faces 37 (Figs, 6, 7) of the latter. With the feeder drum rotating in the opposite sense the ends of the pins cannot drive the belt drums; they run up ramps 38 to the highest points 39 thereof, from where they are pushed back by the springsV 41 to the bottom of the ramps.

`In the 'upper part of the casing 2 (Figs. 2, 3) a ap subdivided into various sections 45a vto 45e is pivotally` mounted on axles 44 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the feeder drum 3. The ap sections 45a, 45h, 45C consist of lids 46 (Fig. 2) with substantially circular arc shapedclosure faces 47 adapted to the shape of the rocket bodies. vf'lhe'lids which extend over the full length vofY thesections, are subjected to the bias of springs 48, and' An additional rib 53 (Fig. 2) arranged at the end of the rearmost flap section 45e restrains the rockets 7 during their" feeder movement into theloading chamber 4, by engaging into annular grooves 55 (Fig. 4) inthe rocket bodies from being shifted in their longitudinal direction. The same purpose is served by ribs 58 and 61 (Fig. 2) of sprung levers 56 and 59, which are rotatable about axles 57 (Fig. 3) and 60, respectively, as well` as by U-profile rails 62 in the magazine (Fig. 4).

The interstices formed between the Walls 12 of the feeder` drum 3 are engaged by ribs 64 attached to the casing (Fig. 3), on which also slider and guide tracks 65; (Fig. 1) forthe rockets are arranged. The guide tracks as, well, as tracks 66 connected to the casing cover together form a duct 67 through which the rockets are further conveyed to the loading chamber 4 after having emerged fromA the magazine 1. The center line of the. conveyer duct` 67 runs originally in the same directonat` which the rockets` emerge from the magazine, and sub-., sequently ina direction inclined to the first one` at an acute angle,

The` axis f the loading chamber 4 which is` designed for `receiving the rockets before the firing, is determinedV by the centers of the portionsof semi-circular cross section. f f ull length'of the casing, is co-axially adjoined forwardly by the` starter tube 5 (Fig. 3), and rearwardly by a current` (not` shown).

areV rotatably journalled on the casing lwalls'71 and 72. The manner of operation of the feeder mechanism for the rockets follows from the structure described, and

from Figs. 8-11:

The rockets (Fig. 1) are pushed by the carrier 6 outV ofthe magazine into the duct 67 with a speed depending,v on the rotational speed of the feeder drum. There the,l actually foremost rocket is forced by a spring loaded; bolt 73 and by a lever S9 intoa recess 17 of the feeder drum 3is accelerated by the latter and is guided further.'

through the feeder duct 67 at a speed exceeding that of the subsequent rockets.

loading chamber 4."

The aps 45a, 45b, 45C protruding into the feeder duct67 are pushed out of their rest position by the rocket directed towards the `loading chamber. As soon as the rocket lies completely in the loading chamber it is autofV matlcally primed in that its two contact points come into` contact with `the contact pieces 70 arranged in theloadmg chamber. At the same time the flaps 45a, b, c swing bythe action of `the springs 48 again into the feeder ducttheir closure faces 47 `hugging the rocket. A rocketA- is` half encircled by the loading chamber 4 during start-` .i ing and is guided along further generatrices by the closure` faceslS and 47A of the feeder drum SandV flaps 45a, b, c. i

During this.` period the .loading chamber is closedby the closurefaces 15 and 47 of the uniformly rotating:

feeder drum 3 andof the `flaps 45; respectively (conff Fig. 9). The combustion gas es consequently can emerge` practically only through thecasing wall 72,.`

` The `feedertdrum 3 `continuing its rotation and the rocket conveyed by it` re-open` the loading 4chamber whereby` the path into `thesarne is cleared `for the saidt rocket. The `rotational speed of `the feeder drum iscon`` f veniently sotselected that the loading chamber is oper- Theloading chamber 4, which extends over the.,

Y' Thereby it leaves the same behind, whereafteruthe feeder drum turns into the gap, thus formed and conveys the rocket completely into the- 4 ated by the closure faces only after the started rocket has left the starting tube. After the last rocket has been conveyed into the loading chamber, a switch (not shown) is operated by the carrier 6 having reached its end position illustrated in Fig. 12, whereby the drive of the feeder drum is switched off.

The re-loading of the magazine (Figs. l-2l5) is effected by pushing the rockets into the recesses 17 of the feeder drum 3 through the aperture 74 of the casing wall 72, and by turning the feederdrum by the aid of the hand crank 33' in the rotational sense Opposite to the feeder movement when` firing. The rockets can be inserted, when the feeder drum is in a position as illustrated in Fig. l5,` into which the feeder drum has to be turned back prior to the beginning of the 1re-loading. When turning back, rstly the portions 18 of the control faces of the feeder drum come into contact with the tubular carrier 6, and` force the same towards the magazine. Thereby so much of the belt 11 is unwound` from the drum 35 that the latterdoes not` turn relative to` the `feeder drum 3. Whenthe closure face 15 thereof is in contact with the carrier 6, the latter and` with it also the belt drum 35 come to a standstill, sothat the feeder drum keeps turning alone and precedes the belt` drum, After the first rocket has `been pushed in, the carrier6 is pushed back by, the said rocket when the feeder drum` isturned further back, so much of the belt. being wound off the drum that its rotational path ex ceeds that of the feeder drum.` Inra position of the feeder drum as shown in Fig. 112 the belt drum has caught` up with the feeder drum again, and the pins` abut again the faces 35. When further re-loadingthw magazine,- these ,t operations are repeated.

While we have described herein; and illustrated vinthe accompanyingl drawings whatmay beconsidereda typical? and particularly advantageous.embodiment` of our said inventiorrwe wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves. to the particular details and dimensions described `and. illustrated, for obvious modifications will` occur to a person skilled in the art.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure` A by Letters Patent, is:

In a` rocket launcher` the combination comprising a` loading chamber having anadjoining tiring tube, a projectile4 magazine, a conveyer ductconnecting said maga Zine with said` loading chamber, a feeder drum` having controLfaces and `closing faces entering said conveyer duct and moving the projectiles from-said magazine into said loading chamber, a spring loaded closure flap operatedybya projectile entering said loading chamber andf cooperating with said closure faces on said feeder drum to form a. closed ring chamber during firing, a carrier movably mounted in said magazine behind-the last projectilecontained therein, belt drums mounted coaxially and in driving connection withsaid feeder drum andf comprising a free-wheel` coupling interposed in` said` driving connection fromsaid feeder drum to said beltr drums, tension belts adapted to be woundl on and otff said belt drums and attached to saidcarrier, imparting to .thelatter the feedrequiredfor conveyingfthe projectiles into said feeder drum` and a prime-mover in-A driving connection with said feeder drum imparting to the latter atuniformt rotation duringthe firing cycle.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

